When Sixth Master got to this part, Uncle Zhong’s eyes also grew hazy, as if he could once again see the scene from that straw hut all those years ago.
“In the center of that hut was a huge block of ice. Well, actually, it might not have been ice at all. It was more like a water-element barrier formed by magic, but to everyone’s eyes, it looked just like ice. And inside that block of ice were three living people.”
“Three young girls, their expressions calm, lifelike and vivid. The one in the middle—how should I put it—just seeing her made it seem as if the entire world had lost its color. I’m not the only one who thought that way. Even Lu Zhong, who normally has a wooden head, was completely stunned at the sight,” Sixth Master’s voice softened as he spoke, clearly still vividly recalling that unforgettable moment.
“Could it be… that woman was my mother?” Mei Qing felt a bit awkward watching the two old men lost in sentimental reverie.
“Sigh, indeed. At that time, the young prince—your father—was so captivated upon seeing your mother that he couldn’t move another step. No matter how much we pleaded or persuaded, he refused to leave the house, just sat there gazing endlessly as if entranced. After observing the scene, Master Maoyang remarked that this appeared to be a protective magical technique, and after further examination, he added that it was quite rare, likely a method used by certain sects to shield their disciples from powerful enemies when traveling outside. Unless someone from the same sect used their sect’s technique to break the seal, it was usually impossible to penetrate it,” Sixth Master felt a bit embarrassed at how heavily Mei Qing emphasized the words “my mother,” and quickly changed the subject.
Mei Qing listened, somewhat surprised at how legendary the tale sounded. He had never imagined that his parents had met in such an extraordinary way.
Sighing again, Sixth Master continued, “The young prince grew anxious and immediately asked Master Maoyang if he could identify which sect’s technique it was, and whether there were any other ways to break the seal. Master Maoyang explained that while the outward appearances of such techniques among sects were mostly similar and difficult to distinguish, the only other way to break the seal would be if someone the person inside had a deep spiritual connection with could awaken her through sheer willpower.”
“This made the young prince even more unwilling to leave. Eventually, realizing this wasn’t sustainable, we left Lu Zhong behind to organize the guards to secure the area, while I took a few men back to the Prince’s Mansion to gather more resources and personnel for further arrangements.”
“It took me quite a while to return to the valley with a group of people and supplies like tents, carts, and horses. By the time we arrived, it was already quite late. Everyone was exhausted and hungry, except the young prince, who seemed completely unaffected. According to Lu Zhong, the prince hadn’t moved at all the entire time, just sat cross-legged by the door of the straw hut. He had even driven everyone outside the courtyard, saying he didn’t want anyone to disturb her. He himself only sat at the entrance of the hut in the courtyard, unwilling to go inside.”
“We all repeatedly tried to persuade him, and even some senior servants from the mansion came on behalf of the Princess Dowager, but the young prince refused to listen. He insisted on staying there, attempting to awaken the girl through sheer willpower. Eventually, with no other choice, we had to set up temporary quarters outside the courtyard of the straw hut for everyone to rest.”
“At first, we thought the prince was just curious and would eventually come around after a few days. But who would have guessed he would stay there for seven whole days.”
“With the prince gone, I had to temporarily return to the mansion to manage affairs. During that time, I consulted A Bimao, who told me she had heard of such techniques and had even studied them. However, she explained that awakening someone through spiritual connection was only possible if the two were spiritual partners, like in a dual cultivation relationship. For example, if she had sealed herself, I might be able to awaken her. But before we had entered into such a relationship, no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t have been able to break the seal.”
“In other words, even if the prince had sat there for a lifetime, there would have been no way to awaken that girl. Although it was a pity, I repeatedly tried to persuade him, but the prince refused to believe it, insisting that Master Maoyang had said that with enough sincerity and spiritual power, it could be resolved. And so, he continued as he had before, refusing to leave for even a moment.”
“Eventually, the Princess Dowager could no longer tolerate the situation and decided to come personally to take the prince back. But just then, an imperial edict arrived from the capital, ordering the prince to immediately assume the title of Prince Xian of Xingxian without waiting to complete the mourning period.”
“This threw everything into chaos. The imperial messenger had already arrived outside the city, and there was no time to go fetch the prince. We had no choice but to lie and say that the prince had suddenly fallen ill and couldn’t come out to receive the edict. The whole situation was chaotic and full of inconsistencies, but after much scrambling and cover-ups, we somehow managed to get through it.”
“After finally managing to handle that mess, I finally caught my breath. But the Princess Dowager summoned me to discuss the matter, and we both agreed this couldn’t go on. We decided that the next day, no matter what, we would bring the prince—now technically the prince regent—back, even if it meant tying him up.”
“Just then, another unexpected twist occurred. We had already prepared people, carts, ropes, and even hired midwives and maids to carry him back when we received word that the prince had decided to return on his own!”
“We were skeptical but decided not to proceed further. The Princess Dowager returned to the mansion, while I led a group to meet him. As I was leaving the city, I indeed saw the young prince’s procession. He was riding on horseback, looking radiant and clearly in high spirits.”
“When the procession reached the mansion gates, the young prince dismounted but didn’t hurry inside. Instead, he went directly to a carriage and soon helped a young girl down. I saw this and suddenly understood, both surprised and uncertain—so the girl who had been encased in ice had actually broken free!”
Mei Qing asked doubtfully, “But earlier you said that such a self-sealing technique could only be broken by someone from the same sect or a spiritual partner in dual cultivation. How could it have been opened?”
Sixth Master hesitated slightly before replying, “That’s true. But at the time, the facts were right in front of us, and I had no choice but to believe. In fact, later as my cultivation improved and my understanding deepened, I revisited this question, but the answer remained the same as it had been back then. As for exactly how the girl broke free, I was at the mansion at the time and have no idea what actually happened.”
Uncle Zhong interjected from the side, “At that time, I was there, but even so, the matter remains as mysterious as ever.”
“Actually, even though we were there, we weren’t inside the courtyard. Not even Master Maoyang was allowed in by the prince. Inside the courtyard, there was only him, sitting there motionless with his eyes closed every day. Master Maoyang said it was a case of sincerity moving even gold and stone—but frankly, none of us really believed that.”
“I remember that day very clearly—it was the twelfth day. In the morning, just past the hour of the hare, the sky hadn’t yet fully brightened, when suddenly we heard a shout from the courtyard. I had just woken up and was stretching when I heard the voice, which sounded like the prince’s. I immediately ran toward the courtyard. As I entered and looked up, I was stunned.”
“There stood the lady—though she was still just a young girl then—stepping out from the hut, looking at the prince with curiosity. Seeing us rushing in, she looked surprised and asked, ‘Who are you people?'”
“We all stood there speechless. Then, as if recalling something, she hurriedly said, ‘Be careful! There’s a bad man with a big snake that bites people.'”
“Just then, two more girls emerged from the hut—those two maids, one named Duoyun and the other Wuer. Of course, we didn’t know their names at the time. One of them, I can’t remember which, turned to the girl and said, ‘Miss, be careful. Don’t run into any more bad people.'”
“The girl replied, ‘They’re not bad people.’ Then she turned to the prince and asked, ‘Right?'”
“The prince, as if awakening from a dream, laughed and said, ‘You’re awake! You’re awake!’ Then he bowed and said, ‘My name is Zhu Hou, and I am from Anlu not far from here. May I ask your honored name?'”
“The girl thought for a moment and said, ‘Me? My name is Wuduo. As for my surname—’ She looked around for a moment before saying, ‘I’ll take the surname Mei.'”
“At the time, we all thought she had just made the surname up off the top of her head. Since she looked around and saw plum blossoms everywhere in the valley, she probably just picked the surname Mei on the spot. But the prince kept saying it was a wonderful surname, and I still don’t know why he thought ‘Mei’ was such a good name. After that, the prince drove us all out. Not long after, he summoned me back in and said we would return to the mansion immediately, and that Mei girl would be coming with us. After that, everything followed what Sixth Master just told you.”
Mei Qing blinked, surprised that his emperor father had been such a smooth talker, managing to convince his mother to come home after just one meeting. Considering how strict the social norms were at the time regarding interactions between men and women, even someone as close to him as Bizi still had to sneak around when visiting his home.
Sixth Master shook his head, “In the end, none of us really know exactly what happened. The dowager princess was not pleased when she met Mei girl, but the prince insisted on having her stay in the mansion. Being the newly appointed prince, the dowager princess tried several times to intervene but failed, so she gave up in frustration and spent her days praying in the back courtyard. However, everyone in the mansion came to like Mei girl very much.”
Uncle Zhong nodded in agreement, “Yes, the lady had a way about her—no matter who met her, they couldn’t help but like her.”
Mei Qing smiled and asked, “Was my mother a very gentle person?”
Uncle Zhong thought for a moment and replied, “How should I put it? The lady seemed completely free of ulterior motives. Just looking into her eyes made you feel she had no ill intentions, no idea how to harm anyone. Not just me—everyone who met her back then had the same feeling. If you had any bad thoughts or intentions in front of her, and she saw it, you’d feel so ashamed you’d want to die.”
Sixth Master nodded repeatedly, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
Ah… No wonder she was so easily lured back to the mansion with just a few sweet words from the old man. Back then, his mother must have been like a greenhouse flower or a pesticide-free vegetable—completely pure and innocent, evoking a sense of humility and protectiveness in others, Mei Qing mused to himself.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage